Treatments

7 tricks that'll change the way you use makeup forever

Updated:14 Apr 2015 2:14 AM |
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bh's Yelena Fairfax

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Ever thought lipstick was just for your lips and mascara just for your eyes? Sounds pretty legit, really. But after talking to some top makeup artists from around the globe, we discovered that they’re using a few sneaky tricks to push beauty products way past their intended use. Here, they’re letting a few industry secrets slip on how you can get a super luxe beauty look just by using everyday products found in your makeup case.

Cheeks

If you’ve been struggling to get your cheeks stained that perfect ‘I’ve just had a brisk walk in the park’ pink - then you might want to consider ditching the blush in favour of your lipstick. At Bobbi Brown, Director of Artistry Kai Vinson uses the brand’s Art Sticks creamy lip liners to create a satin finish on the cheeks. “We found that you could use them for really amazing clear-coloured blushes that go on and create this beautiful soft blush stain. We ended up using these a lot of times at Fashion Week for blushes, even though they’re lip products,” says Kai.

Highlights

Forget needing a specific highlighting product to illuminate the high points of the face, instead try using eye primer, eyeshadow or lip balm (yes, really). “Originally designed as a lid primer and illuminator, eye primer’s creamy formula is so much more than that. Blend it on to cheekbones for that tropical sun-kissed sheen and use it on the brow bone or Cupid’s bow of your lips to highlight,” reveals Savoir Faire Director Leia Corrie.

To create a dewy and radiant look, try applying Maybelline NY Color Tattoo Eye Shadow in Too Cool to the high points of your face. “Consider where the sun would naturally kiss your face and, using your finger, lightly dab Color Tattoo in Too Cool across your cheekbones, the bridge of your nose, your temples and the tip of your chin. This will guarantee to catch the light at any angle for a sculpted and radiant finish,” adds Nigel. Alternatively, use Maybelline NY Baby Lips Lip Balm for more of a beachy finish. “Lightly dab the lip balm to the cheekbones and even your eyelids for a slightly glossy finish.”

Brows

Envious of Cara DeLevigne’s to-die-for brows? Ditch the brow pen in favour of a matte eyeshadow. Nigel suggests trying a light brown or chocolate shade from Maybelline’s Expert Wear Eye Shadow Palette in Designer Chocolates to create depth. “With a brow or eyeliner brush, I lightly feather through the eye shadow, concentrating on the arch, for a full and finished brow each and every time.”

Alternatively, take a page from the recent MBFWA Zhivago show and use mascara to give your brows shape. “The models had their eyebrows brushed upwards with the “Simply” mascara from the Savoir Faire range. The mascara was thick enough to hold the hair in place without it looking clumpy or waxy,” explains Corrie.

Eyes

If eyes are the windows to the soul, imagine having eyes that glisten in dripping bold shades of colour. Or stop imagining, and just use any one of your bright lipsticks to get the look - that’s what Savoir Faire did for a recent editorial. “Using Savoir Faire Lipstick in the shade Risqué, the artist created vibrant and intense graphic eyes on the model. The rich texture of the lipstick allowed a strong line to be created that is difficult to get with your standard powders,” reveals Leia.

Freckles

There’s nothing like a cute smattering of freckles to have you thinking of summery days lying by a beach. Not blessed with your own? Now’s the time to fake it ‘til you make it. “My best tip to add freckles to the face is using the MAC Lip Pencil in Cork because it has a natural warm tone. Press it in with your fingertips, and by pressing it in, it almost makes it look like it is underneath the skin so it looks like a real freckle,” advises MAC Makeup Director James Molloy.

Lips

Just like you can use lipstick to create bold eye looks, you can use eyeshadows to create stand-up-and-take-notice lips. At the recent New York Fashion Week, Kai took to using the Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick for the eyes to create rich intense lips. At another show, he used the Golden Pink Shadow Stick pressed into the centre of the lips on top of a nude lip liner to create a glow. Another tip that he let slip was to use retouching powders on top of lip balm to create a matte soft pink finish to the lips. “Almost that perfect lip colour that little babies have.”

Hair

It’s not just the face that makeup products have multiple uses for, you can also use them to touch-up your hair. “To create vibrant and eye-catching streaks in the hair, use bright-coloured lip pencils and literally colour in the space you want coloured. Savoir Faire Lip Pencils are formulated to be waterproof so they will last all day or night in the hair and won’t rub off on your clothes. The best bit is it washes out straight away and you can play with other colours the next day,” says Leia.

Bobbi Brown is also a fan of using her brand’s Brow Shapers to touch up her regrowth in between hair salon visits. “It’s a hair colour but it’s made to stay on well - it’s like a mascara but it’s not dry like a mascara. It will melt down more like a powder so it works in with the hair colour really nicely,” explains Kai.

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77 Member Comments

Yohanna 11 May 2017 11:27 PM

I love glowy look without those weird highlighters that make skin so unnatural looking. So good skincare is a must, or if wearing makeup strobe moisturizer or glowy light foundation do the trick for me

One of the most interesting makeup encounters I ever had was at Mecca, when a makeup artist suggested I try using a NARS lip liner under an eyeshadow. I would normally use an eyeliner however the shade of the lip liner was the right colour, the texture was gorgeous, I could also use it on my lips (duh) and it worked so well. I was over the moon. Gee I dropped a bomb that day.

A lot of tips in here that I already practise, but I take issue with the idea of using lipstick on the lids and shadow sticks on the lips. Some lip colours aren't safe for eye use, and the same goes for eyeliners/cream shadows. Not to mention the texture may not play well. I always cringe when someone suggests adding lip balm to your lids for gloss - it looks good in photoshoots but awful in real life!

As a child, I had freckles on my face and I'm sure that having them would look a lot less "made up" if they looked real, but I seriously doubt that they could look real like the freckles on my shoulders, and I can't imagine how long it would take to apply fake freckles all over my face, decolette and neck!